Instant lottery tickets (e.g., “scratch-off” lottery tickets) are sold at many types of retail locations including, stores, such as grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and the like. Various configurations of lottery ticket dispensers have been proposed in the industry for this purpose, including electronic dispensers that automatically dispense a ticket from a bin or compartment upon receipt of an electronic command signal.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,339,121 proposes an electronic lottery ticket dispensing system that includes a plurality of lockable ticket compartments that each dispenses a ticket upon receipt of a dispense trigger signal from a computing device. Inside each ticket compartment resides a dispensing mechanism and an associated motor that actuates the dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism advances at least one ticket from a continuous perforated fan fold of scratch-off lottery tickets. With this system, the compartments are arranged side-by-side within a drawer that slides into a cabinet. To load new ticket packs, the drawer is slid out from the cabinet and the ticket packs are inserted from above into each respective compartment.
U.S. Pat. Application Pub. No. 2017/0018148 describes a lottery ticket dispenser array having a plurality of individual interconnected individual bins, wherein each bin includes a multi-sided housing in which a pack of lottery tickets is stored. The stacked tickets are interconnected by a perforation line between adjacent tickets and a drive mechanism and scanner are configured within each bin. Upon receipt of a purchase signal, the drive mechanism dispenses the requisite number of tickets out of a slot in a back face or wall of the bin as the scanner reads the code printed on the ticket as it passes through the slot. The drive mechanism, dispensing slot, and control electronics are housed within the back wall, which is configured as a door that pivots between a fully closed position and a fully open position relative to the housing in order for an operator to load new ticket packs into the bin.
With the type of dispenser array wherein the individual bins (or two or more adjacent bins) have a pivotable door, as with the '148 application discussed above, a problem exists in that the bottom ticket layers tend to shift upon loading the ticket packs into the bin and can move into the area of the hinge line between the door and the compartment frame. When this occurs, the tickets jam the hinge line and prevent the door from closing. In addition, the tickets can become damaged (e.g., bent or torn) along the edges facing the door when the operator attempts to close the door, which may result in a subsequent dispensing jam when the ticket is engaged by the drive mechanism and fed through the dispensing slot.
The present invention seeks to provide a pivotal door for one or more adjacent dispensing bins that minimizes the risk of tickets becoming lodged in the hinge area of the door.